Costumes, props, lighting and sound

Costumes and Props

Costumes are a particularly effective way in which directors can shape meaning.

For example, in images one and two, what do you assume about the personalities of the characters?

What assumptions have you made about these two characters based on their costumes? Perhaps you believe the priest in image one to be a good honest person and the man in image two to be dishonest and maybe even a criminal.

Consider how the use of props might change our attitudes towards the two characters in images three and four.

Have your assumptions changed about the two characters? How so? Can you see the difference that costume and props can make? The assumptions that we make based on costumes and props and the like are called visual cues.

Costumes are often used in a far more subtle manner. Often when we view films we make assumptions about characters without realising. Consider images five and six.

Has the colour of the tie in each image changed your assumptions about the characters? Many people would see the man with the black tie as being more mysterious, perhaps because there are connotations (Refer to Unit 11 of Reference Package Two) of a secret service agent. The man in the pink tie may be seen by people as happier as or less serious than the man in the black tie. Unit 11 in Reference Package Two contains more information on visual cues and cultural assumptions.

ACTIVITY:

Design the costume for the character in the animation 'Be the costume designer'.

• First, design the costume so that the viewers will see the character as a shady or untrustworthy character.
  
  
• Second, design the costume so that the viewers will see the character as trustworthy and honest.

Lighting

Lighting is a very important aspect for shaping meaning in drama. What kind of atmosphere is created in a room lit by candles? Have you ever heard of mood lighting? A room that is brightly lit by neon lights might seem to be sterile or a shadowy room might be eerie or scary. The lighting technicians in a drama crew have the task of creating lighting to suit the mood and atmosphere of each scene in a play.

Look at the examples in the animation 'Eerie lighting' and 'Bright lighting' and think about what type of atmosphere is created in each.

Another common lighting technique used is spotlighting or follow spots. Refer to the animation 'Spotlight/followspot' for explanation.

Different coloured lighting can also be used to imply meaning. The animation 'Coloured lighting' will explain this concept in more detail.

Sound

Sound is also an important part of staging a play. Sound technicians will use sound in a variety of different ways. The two major components are sound effects and music.

Sound effects are generally used to establish location, weather, time of day, or something happening off stage. Consider the animation 'Sound effects 1' and consider which sounds indicate location, weather and time of day, or something happening off stage.

Music is used most commonly to suggest a particular mood, or the time period that a play is set in. It can also suggest location. Consider the animation 'Sound effects 2' and the effect that each type of music has.